Expert wans junk food ban is just the start as San Francisco outlaws Happy Meals

A SCOTS health expert has warned that a US city's ban on Happy Meals is the shape of things to come.

A SCOTS health expert has warned that a US city's ban on Happy Meals is the shape of things to come.

From next month, restaurants in San Francisco cannot give away free toys with unhealthy meals.

It means McDonald's Happy Meals will no longer be able to be sold in their present form in the Californian city.

Glasgow University professor of metabolic medicine Naveed Sattar said the food industry will face further legal challenges if they do not improve the nutritional content of their products.

He said: "Excess calories is the biggest cause of obesity, rather than less exercise.

"You can educate people as much as you want but if there's tasty, accessible food that looks good, people will be seduced by it.

"What 's happening in San Francisco sends out a warning shot across the bows of the food industry that legislation will come unless they change their ways.

"Chi ldren's taste buds are programmed for high salt, fat and sugar and it can be hard to change this as adults."

San Francisco is the first major US city to ban restaurants from offering free toys with meals that contain more than set levels of calories, sugar and fat.

The regulation also requires restaurants to provide fruit and vegetables with all meals that come with toys.

City supervisor Eric Mar said: "I do believe that toys and other incentives attached to foods that are high in sugar, fat and calories are a major reason for the alarming r ise i n chi ldhood obesity in this country."

McDonald's spokeswoman Danya Proud said of the ban: "It's not what our customers want. Public opinion continues to be overwhelmingly against this misguided legislation."